“He deserves to win the Ballon d'Or” – Jude Bellingham makes his choice clear at award gala
Jude Bellingham has explained why Lionel Messi deserves to be crowned the 2023 Ballon d'Or winner tonight (October 30).
Messi, 36, is expected to win his eighth award tonight in Paris but faces competition from Bellingham's former Borussia Dortmund teammate Erling Haaland, 23.
Real Madrid's newest superstar gave his verdict on the France Football award race and he thinks Messi deserves it over Haaland. He explained (via Albiceleste Talk):
"It's a World Cup year and Lionel Messi had a fantastic World Cup, I think he deserves to win the Ballon d'Or.”
Messi put any fears that he'd end his career without a FIFA World Cup win to bed with his heroics in Qatar last year. The Inter Miami superstar wreaked havoc for Argentina, bagging seven goals and three assists in seven games. He was rightfully awarded the Golden Ball for his extraordinary displays.
The Argentine icon looks likely to pick up the Ballon d'Or on the same night that Bellingham, 20, was named the Kopa Trophy winner. He was recognized for his excellent past year with Dortmund which earned him an €103 million move to the Santiago Bernabeu this past summer.
Guillem Balague tips Jude Bellingham to rival the likes of Lionel Messi for the Ballon d'Or in the future
Renowned Spanish journalist Guillem Balague has suggested that the rivalry between Ballon d'Or's record holders Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi is over. He explained that Jude Bellingham is looking likely to join the Argentine icon, Kylian Mbappe, and Erling Haaland in a new era (via CBS Sports Golazo):
"The era of Messi and Ronaldo is over. The era of Bellingham, Mbappe, Haaland and Messi has just started."
The English superstar has been a revelation since joining Madrid this past summer. He's bagged 13 goals and three assists in 13 games across competitions for Los Blancos.
Balague isn't the only high-profile football name tipping Bellingham for greatness. England legend Gary Lineker has also backed him to win the illustrious award in the future:
"Who wins the Ballon d'Or in 5 years time? Probably Jude Bellingham."
Madrid's No.5 finished 18th in this year's rankings but is bound to be higher up that list amid his blistering start at the Bernabeu. He claimed the Kopa Trophy following his excellent past year with Dortmund and England in which he was named the Bundesliga Player of the Year.